


The Right Moves

by LibertinePast



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bickering, Daniel whump, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Karate kid 2 trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 13:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18575323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibertinePast/pseuds/LibertinePast
Summary: Another continuation of the Mexican Restaurant clip.  The boys are running each other's dates into the ground, but a martini plays the dirtiest of all.





	The Right Moves

_“Ok…are you two done comparing class sizes?”_

 

It’s quiet for about thirty seconds in this corner of Tierra y Mar.

Johnny reaches across his table and gently takes Carmen’s hand in his, dusting his thumb across her knuckles. Daniel looks down at the motion like it’s a wiper scraping across a bone-dry windshield.  He takes a drink. Johnny feels the weight of those dark eyes and slumping brow.

“Look at it this way, LaRusso. At least with our tables this close, you don’t have to spy on me.  If you hide in the kitchen at this place, they might spill habanero sauce on your chest.  You might grow some actual hair on it. Like, one.”

Daniel stares blankly at the menu, none of the meal options registering in his head. “So where did you two meet? Video dating?” he grins. “Must’ve been hard for her to actually see your face under the tracking lines.”

“Actually, her son is the All-Valley champion. A _real_ All-Valley champion.” 

“UH, you do realize you just dogged yourself there, too? Wow. Seducing clients. Keeps getting better.” 

They keep on trading barbs, ignoring Amanda and Carmen.  The women are zoning out.

_…..if Easter grass taught karate….._

_….personality of ketchup-water…._

_…..totally McEnroe the fajita skillet across your face…_

This is turning into the worst date Carmen has ever been on, and she’s been on one interrupted by a DEA raid, so that’s saying a lot. 

The final straw for Amanda is when Daniel rolls up his sleeves and uses it as an excuse to nonchalantly flex his arms.

Amanda chugs the last of her Margarita and shoots to her feet, scuffing her chair back with a loud groan. “OK. I’m done. _Done._ Carmen, would you like to check out that Wine and Warhol place down the street? I feel like spattering paint in a very _unfocused_ manner.”

“You know what? I’d love to,” Carmen says, gathering up her sweater and purse. “I think I’ll paint a picture of a guy getting choked by a snake.” She glowers at Johnny.  “A real masterpiece.” 

“Whoa, whoa, Carm, you don—!” 

“Man _da,_ ” Daniel groans after them, “Th-the paint smell will totally block out the notes of the wine…!”

Amanda gives him the middle finger without turning around as she and Carmen strut out of the restaurant.

Johnny grinds his teeth and plunks into Amanda’s empty seat across from Daniel, making tentative fists on the table. “You happy? I know you were trying to ruin _my_ date, but now _neither_ of us is getting laid!” 

“Well, the difference between us is, Amanda will still be sleeping next to me later, and I’ll have this turned around by morning. Like I said before, it just takes the right moves.”

“I don’t know why you’re so damn cocky. What would happen if I flipped this table over and kicked your ass right now? What would you do without your sensei busting in and saving the day? You ever think about that?” 

“You say that as if it happened multiple times,” Daniel says, his tongue gliding across his lip as his eyes dart away.

“I can tell by your dumb face that it did. Every fight.” 

“Yeeah, you’re _so_ good at reading people.”  Daniel swirls his martini and doesn’t notice that the olive slid off the cocktail pick. 

He guzzles the remaining vodka and inhales the olive.  

Tears pierce his eyes and he expects to make some kind of sound—a comic book HRRRRK or something like that, but there’s nothing at all.  It feels just like the handle of Chozen’s spear, only from the inside. He wants to grab his throat, but he just clenches the table. Johnny is staring at the doorway where Carmen disappeared. “You know what your problem i–“  Johnny’s eyes dart back and Daniel looks like he’s doing one of his animated commercials, only with a pimento red face, jutting chin and water streaming down his cheeks. “LaRusso, what the f—ohh, shit—”

Everyone in the restaurant is scrolling on their phones and doesn’t even notice Johnny lunging to his feet and surrounding Daniel with his arms from behind. “OK, ok, way of the fist, right? Fuck, I dunno?!” He wrecking-balls his hands into Daniel’s abs until he’s airborne in his arms.  “C’mon, kid, c’mon!” The seconds feel like hours. He thrusts so hard, they fall backwards and as Daniel lands on Johnny, the olive shoots out of his mouth. The boy who knocked the wind out of him knocks it back.

The other patrons have finally figured out what happened, standing around uselessly.  “That was some Mrs. Doubtfire shit, man!” somebody says. Daniel lies on top of Johnny, taking heaving breaths complimented by Flamenco guitars. The weight of the stares is making Johnny very self-conscious, and then some moron starts slow-clapping until the whole place gets going. 

“You ok?”

“…i guess…no mercy has its…perks,” Daniel croaks.

“Told you.”  

“I- I have to go. Now.” Daniel wants to run from all the thoughts in his head, jump out of his skin. Did this happen to jolt him out of becoming Sato? Is he even more far gone than that? He staggers towards the door, panting unevenly, and Johnny follows.  “Tea. I just need some tea.”

“ _Tea?_  The fuck is that gonna do? Hey, hey,” Johnny says as they hit the late day sunlight outside. “Stop. Look at me.”

Daniel tries to focus. Johnny’s head is bordered by a mural of _calacas_ ,and the sound of his own breath is deafening.  He imagines following Johnny around forever like an indebted Wookie.  He meets his eyes and twitches a nod.

“I know how scary that can be, Daniel.”

“I know you do,” he swallows hard, his next words strained and hailing from Mumbletown, New Jersey. "...thanksfor...savin'myli--"

“Whatever, why don’t we…just go to the art thing with our tails between our legs, and have Carmen take a look at you. She’s a nurse.”

“I-I don’t think that’s nec—“

“Quiet,” he scolds, although much quieter than usual. “I’m not asking.” 

____________________________________________________

Daniel finds himself surrounded by artistically challenged women, Sangria and Amanda’s arms. “Oh, God, babe, oh my God,” she whimpers. “This is what I’ve been praying for.  N-not a vodka-soaked garnish lodged in your throat, I mean—something to make you two wake up and see how stupid you are! Oh my God, you should be sitting. Sit!” She plants him on the stool and the mother-henning rages on.

Carmen, always with a steth in her purse, listens to Daniel’s vitals. Amanda throws her arms around Johnny next.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. You _own_ him right now, I hope you know that.”

Johnny cringes, meeting eyes sadly with Daniel over her shoulder.

“Everything sounds good, sweetheart,” Carmen says to Daniel kindly as she takes out her eartips and rests them on her neck. “You’re very lucky.”

He’s never associated the word _luck_ with Johnny before. 

“I-I’m too fucking shaky to paint right now,” Amanda sighs, downing some wine and rubbing Daniel’s shoulders. “Here, babe.” She shoves a brush in his hand. “You just breathe and paint. Breathing and painting is your thing.” 

Johnny watches Daniel stare at the blank canvas like a lost child. 

“…Not exactly how I expected this night to go,” Carmen says to Johnny aside. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. I’m proud of you.”

“Detected a little…sarcasm the last time you said that.”

“ _Then,_ yes.  But you put all the bullshit aside and did what you had to do.  You’re protective to the core.”

Johnny sighs and looks back at Daniel, who’s painting the canvas blue in a daze, his wrist flicking up and down. _Someone has to do it._

 

 

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

 


End file.
